Using the Labor Department’s local area unemployment statistics, Slate presents the recession as told by unemployment numbers for each county in America. Because the data are not seasonally adjusted for natural employment cycles throughout the year, the numbers you see show the change in the number of people employed compared with the same month in the previous year. Blue dots represent a net increase in jobs, while red dots indicate a decrease. The larger the dot, the greater the number of jobs gained or lost. Click the arrows or calendar at the bottom to see each month of data. Click the green play button to see an animation of the data.

So how is this “recovery” happening again?

January 2007

January 2008

January 2009

January 2009 October

Now investors like us can choose to put money in their trades and simply watch your investments grow.  You know exactly what they’re trading, how they’re performing, and what their trading strategies are.  Furthermore, you can choose to opt out anytime you wish.  The cost? Less than 1.5% management fee on average and a few cents a share for brokerage fee (Interactive Brokers).

kaChing already has over 2 million dollars invested in it as a SEC RIA (Registered Investment Advisor).

There’s an array of investors waiting for your investment.  Some are amateurs, and some are RIA professionals.   So whether you’re looking to be the next Genius or want to perform better following these Geniuses, give it a shot.

Features Offered:

Public Groups

Desktop users are able to create or join individual groups that are topic specific, some examples include groups centered on a specific trading style or focus. Group members are able to send private messages directly to the group or to multiple groups that don’t appear in the rest of the stream.

Customizable Streams

Desktop users may block people from their stream; this gives members full control over stream customization.

RSS Streams

Desktop users can create a stream from an RSS feed. Simply copy and paste the RSS url from any site and receive the updates right in StockTwits Desktop.

Multiple Tabs and Moveable Streams

Stocktwits Desktop offers users the ability to customize their layout. Streams can be moved around and ordered with a simple drag and drop.

StockTwits TV

Stay tuned to all your favorite StockTwits TV shows with the built in video player. Watch Alphatrends, UpsideTrader, Investing with Options, and all of our programming live, while you read Real-time messages from the StockTwits community. Users will find the full schedule of programming it listed right in the application.

Web Browser

StockTwits Desktop has a built in web browser, so users can click links and view pages without ever having to leave the application! If you prefer to open the link in your own browser, we’ve provided a button for that, as well. We’ve also provided a button to simplify sharing links.

If you haven’t tried the application, definitely give it try.  They’ve really done a good job asking themselves “what are we missing in our trading lives?” and addressed them beautifully.  Great design, great interface, great features, and above all, great community.  Whether you’re a day trader or a long-term trader, there’s something you can get out of this application.

You can also check this page out for more detailed video instructions on “How To”s.
http://desktop.stocktwits.com/help

On the firm’s Web site, Zuckerberg said Facebook turned cash-flow positive in the second quarter, meaning it is generating enough cash to cover daily expenses. Facebook didn’t expect to be cash-flow positive until “sometime in 2010,” Zuckerberg wrote.

While company officials stress that no IPO is in the works, the cash-flow feat suggests that the popular site is managing costs well and that revenue is flowing in faster — two factors sure to appeal to investors eager to see the site turn its popularity into a sustainable business.

“If everything falls into place, it will bring investors back into the tech markets,” said David Menlow, president of IPO Financial Network. “It will significantly foster more venture capital money into new ideas that have yet to be launched. I expect investors will focus more attention on Internet technology markets once again.”

According to Marc Andreessen, the founder of Netscape and Facebook’s board member, Facebook expects revenue to reach $500 million. 

“The business is performing well, which allowed us to achieve our cash flow positive milestone earlier than projected,” Yu said via e-mail.

Facebook board member Marc Andreessen in July told Reuters he expects the social-network site to generate sales of $500 million this year. Yu would not confirm that.

Justin Smith, editor of the Web site Inside Facebook, said Facebook is likely to book revenue between $500 million and $550 million this year.

“Things are going well on multiple fronts,” he said. “Facebook is in a unique position with a unique degree of product insight and strategy that has allowed them to grow at an unprecedented pace.”

The bulk of Facebook revenue is advertising. The rest, about $70 million this year, will be micropayments for virtual goods — inexpensive “gift” icons such as flowers and teddy bears that people post to friends’ Facebook pages. Facebook is adding icons for game playing.

I personally don’t think Facebook is the next Google as far as the next big tech IPO, but it certainly opens up a lot of doors for Facebook with additional cash.  I’d imagine they would expand beyond the current social media platform and further increase its product line, so it will certainly be exciting to see Facebook issue an IPO.   Who knows.  Nothing in the pipeline, says Facebook.